Psychedelic Kicks
by klarolineagainnaturally
Summary: 1969. The Summer of Love. Klaus Mikaelson has flown across the pond to attend the prestigious Harvard Law School. "Coincidentally" his brother Elijah could not find him an apartment in time, leaving him to stay with a group of Americans. Among those Americans is the perky, yet demanding, Caroline Forbes. A hippie dippie love story with life-changing events.
1. Chapter 1

**July, 1969**

The trip had not been kind to his body; he was forced to sit in economy next to a crying child thanks to his eldest brother. Elijah had ensured that everything was booked to his desires, but something told him that he purposefully 'made the mistake' of choosing the cheaper section. On top of that, the turbulence at times was dreadful to the point he had thought they would drop out of the sky mid-flight. Then there was the passive smell of cigarette smoke wafting through the plane. Although he was used to the smell –he occasionally enjoyed a smoke too–, the lingering smell started to give him a headache. All that there was to do was read the newspaper he had picked up prior to take-off. Some trite about Prince Charles being crowned Prince of Wales was plastered across the front page above a heading about John Lennon and Yoko Ono. He had met the Prince once or twice. He was a rather pompous fellow, although it was expected of from a son of the Queen of the United Kingdom.

He stood in the office of a much esteemed gentleman, whose shoes impeccably matched his tan suit. He hoped that the meeting would not take much time as he could only focus on getting a long sleep as he sat in an uncomfortable wooden chair.

"Mr. Mikaelson," a man entering greeted, prompting him to stand for a handshake, "Derek Bok."

"Sir," he nodded, reciprocating the firm handshake.

"Now," the gentleman started, allowing him to sit down as he, too, sat in his large office chair, "Niklaus, correct? Your brother has informed me of your tremendous work while trying to butter me up to accept you."

Klaus nodded with an embarrassed smile, "I hope his efforts were not too forward."

"Are you kidding me? If anything, it was just the icing," he answered, enthusiasm in his voice, "We are 'stoked', as the kids say, to have another Mikaelson studying with us."

The young man chuckled at the older man's attempt to sound 'with it' – not that he could say anything; he grew up in Oxford and went to a boarding school for the majority of his education. If he was dropped in the middle of the mods and rockers, he would surely stand out.

"The pleasure is all mine," he replied, shrugging.

"I just wanted to meet you before the academic year began in August, but I believe you will be a fine addition to this year's class."

* * *

"What a suck up," Klaus muttered to himself, rolling his suitcases behind him. Elijah had indeed warned him that Dean Derek Bok was a known brown nose among the more affluent students. He could excuse it, though; how could he have become the dean of Harvard Law School without that trait? Still, he made note to avoid the man at all costs. Playing nice was not his forte.

A town car was waiting for him at the end of the building's front stretch. The dean had graciously called a car for him despite his 'efforts' to humbly decline the offer. It was not too shabby of a car. The exterior was a maroon colour with a white hood. A Lincoln Continental if he was not mistaken. Back home, he would have insisted on a black car instead.

The driver opened the trunk of the car, stepping out to take Klaus' cases. No greetings were had. After shutting the trunk, the man began to make work of pulling down the front seat to allow passage to the back. However, Klaus immediately sat into the passenger's seat, not wanting to deal with crawling into back of the two-door car. The driver soon sat into his seat, looking at his passenger expectantly. Klaus fished a piece of paper out of his jacket pocket and handed it over lazily.

"Henry Street, huh? No problem," the driver nodded, flicking the paper aside onto the dashboard.

Klaus was going in blind to his accommodation. Somehow, Elijah was 'unable' to get Klaus a apartment within the time constraints and had found him what he could only imagine to be a hovel in the ground. He was given very little information about the accommodation: he would be living with other students, though he doubted they would meet his intellectual needs; it was further out from classes than he desired; and his stay would be brief. The last fact was most important. Most apartments in the area had contracts that would only start in late-August, so he was left with no other choice than to grin and bear the interactions with the common yanks.

It took a good twenty minutes for them to arrive outside of the home. It was a brown, three-story house with white frames around the windows and a grey roof that curved around and cut into the bottom of the top floor. Klaus pursed his lips at the discolouring and fraying of the house's exterior. Bloody Elijah.

* * *

"See? Pretty trippy, right?"

"Katherine…stop saying 'trippy'. It's _not_ gonna happen," replied the girl with golden-brown skin, her large and fluffy, black afro pushing aside as she viewed the weird designs in the kaleidoscope.

The girl known as Katherine rolled her brown eyes, pressing one finger against her olive-toned forehead in annoyance, "I'm telling you, Bonnie Bennett: it's catching on."

"In what universe?" Bonnie asked flatly, placing the plastic gimmick on the circular, red table they were sat at, "Where'd you get the stupid thing anyway?"

"It's not stupid," Katherine frowned, smiling at the kaleidoscope as she held it close, "It's… _trippy_."

She grinned, earning a glare from her friend.

"It was also five cents at the flea market, and you know I love a bargain," she quickly followed up.

"You mean your five-finger discount?"

Her lips pursed to avoid a less than guilty smirk, but Bonnie quickly laughed at the girl's transparent nature.

"You stole from a flea market?" the Bennett girl accused disapprovingly.

"It was more of a…yard sale," she shrugged happily, twisting the two cylinders as she looked into the toy.

"Katherine!"

"I did pay five cents, though. I mean, I dropped it by accident and couldn't be bothered to pick it up…but technically I did pay!" she pouted suddenly, slotting the tube between her arm and chest, "And I wanted it…"

"One day, you're gonna get arrested—"

"And that's when you'll be my lawy—"

"And that's when I'll laugh at you and not do a damn thing."

Katherine glared and twisted in her chair as one of the men of the house entered into the kitchen, her wavy chestnut hair tousling, "Stefan! You'd defend me, right?"

Stefan stopped in his tracks, his yellow silk scarf loose around his neck, "Not in a million years. I'll visit you in prison, though."

"You heartless monsters…"

"No. What's heartless is a girl like me getting stopped in a grocery store because I 'look like I'm stealing'. Like I couldn't afford a darn apple," Bonnie countered, gesturing to her body.

"'Aint that just the way…" the girl with chestnut hair sighed, reaching across the table for her bottle of beer, and stuck the kaleidoscope in its place.

Their heads turned simultaneously at the disturbing knock at the door. Stefan took it upon himself to answer it, his tan, pointed oxford shoes clicking against the floorboards. He opened the door wide to reveal the grey flannel suit wearing Klaus.

"Yeah?"

Katherine and Bonnie watched from the kitchen table curiously. Katherine's feet were propped up on the chair as her lips curved upwards mischievously at the handsome stranger.

"Klaus Mikaelson," he greeted, holding out his hand.

"Stefan Salvatore. We're not buying anything."

He swung the door shut in the man's face as he smiled in a friendly manner.

Katherine snorted, "Poor hottie."

"A little harsh, Stef!" Bonnie frowned, getting up from her seat to open the door for herself.

"He was only protecting his spot within the hierarchy," Katherine defended playfully, "He's already been out-ranked by Tyler."

Stefan laughed sarcastically and walked to open the fridge, taking a good look inside whilst the door was knocked on once again.

"Hey," Bonnie smiled, leaning against the door as she held it open, "Can we help you?"

Klaus was stood on the doorstep, luggage at his feet, with an unimpressed eyebrow raise, "31 Henry Street? I'm supposed to be moving in today. My brother spoke with a Caroline Forbes?"

"Caroline got us a new roommate?" Stefan spoke up, head poking out from behind the fridge door, "Did she forget about Damon?"

"Uh…" Bonnie smiled uncomfortably, glancing at Stefan before facing Klaus once more, "Come in."

Katherine's ears perked up at the sound of the stranger's voice and the mention of Caroline. Her eyes gleamed as if an evil plan were festering away in her head. She jumped up from her seat, joining her friend at the doorway.

"I'm Katherine," she grinned, holding a hand out.

Klaus looked at her hand and scanned her up and down. The pretty brunette was scantily clad in an orange bralette that was paired with flared white and orange flower patterned pants.

"Mmm…" he nodded in acknowledgement, moving further into the room by the kitchen table.

Katherine shared an irritated glance with Bonnie.

"Don't…" Bonnie muttered to the girl before following Klaus to the table.

"He's rude… Let me have some fun," the brunette whispered.

Bonnie refused to encourage her behaviour, but she also refused to actively _dis_ courage the girl.

"I'll take that as the go-ahead," Katherine poked out her tongue through her evil smile. Even Stefan had taken a moment away from scouring the fridge to watch the imminent car crash.

"So, Klaus was it?"

"I did say that."

He looked around at the bright interiors of the kitchen. They were tacky to say the least.

Katherine skirted around, slipping back onto her chair as waves of hair ran through her fingers, "Mm… So, for what did we deserve to be graced with your...electrifying presence?"

Bonnie joined Stefan by the counter, folding her arms as Stefan muttered "Do you think she could go one day without making a boy cry?"

"Maybe…if this guy is incapable of crying."

"What's your deal?" Katherine asked the man who was still stood as she viewed him from her seat.

"My deal? Well, my brother thought it would be funny to see me squirm amongst the…riff raff before I started at Harvard Law."

Katherine laughed humorlessly, "Is that so? Wow…Harvard Law."

Stefan pushed himself away from the counter, "I'm Harvard Law too. Bonnie's at Boston Law."

Bonnie smiled a small smile, lifting a finger to present herself, "Second year."

" _Really_?" Klaus' eyes narrowed at the two of them.

The previously interested girl's smile faded into annoyance, "Surprised?"

"Partially. I just believe that most people here are not qualified for law school," he elaborated, taking a look at the clothes hanging out on a drying rack in the middle of the room.

"Most people _here_?"

"Americans. You're all too focused on putting on a show in the courtroom."

"Oh…Caroline is going to _love_ you. You can sit down, you know," Katherine smirked, kicking the chair opposite's leg gently.

"I would prefer to stand. Once this Caroline shows me to my room, I will be out of your way."

"Well then, we musn't tarry," the girl joked sardonically, "Second floor –meaning first for you–, first door on the left. Caroline's in there. We'll watch your things."

Bonnie opened her mouth a little, "But isn't Caroline t-"

"Taking her sweet time with her makeup? Yes, she is. You better just go ahead."

"Right… Cheers," he bobbed his head in thanks, giving one suspicious glance before bounding up the stairs.

Katherine's naughty eyes watched him, her leg hanging off the side of the chair. Bonnie and Stefan shared a laugh, joining the brunette at the table.

"I feel like this will just be worse for Caroline," Bonnie said worryingly, stealing Katherine's beer for a sip.

"True, but at least Lord Douche-ington the Fifth will get a good telling off by Caroline."

"I will drink to that…once I get a drink," Stefan replied, making his way to the fridge to retrieve a cold one.

* * *

Klaus grumbled as he stepped up the narrow stairs. He had to remind himself that he would only be staying for a short period of time, and then he would be in his own private apartment with no one to bother him.

He found the room he had been given directions to, and after knocking gently, he could hear nothing on the other side, so he took it upon himself to enter without invitation.

The gentleman was welcomed with a hazy sight of the room. Smoke filled it almost like a sauna, and steam was arising through the smoke from the bathtub. It also, he noted, smelled like a hippie's den. The last time he had smelled the 'wacky tobaccy' was a good few years back. Of course, in the years he had been off the stuff, the usage among young people had gone up tremendously. It was something he had snuck into his halls very carefully during his first year at university, but his usage was sparing.

"Mmm...Tyler, if you want to come in the bath, you have to be a good boy," a sultry voice called out. The voice was light and rather raspy, the heat emanating off of her words.

Stunned, Klaus stared into what was now a hotbox of a bathroom. He saw a shapely figure and the flaring up of embers at the end of what he assumed was a blunt. Clearly, the American students were a lot more inclined to light one up than his classmates back across the pond. He quickly realised this would be a reoccurring sight...and smell. He supposed he would get used to it, especially if it came paired with voices as sweet as the one he had heard.

With the door open, the smoke cleared just enough for him to be confronted with a naked, well-endowed blonde. She, too, turned her head slowly, all the while sucking in a puff of smoke. Her blonde hair was tied up in a messy bun, and her body was relaxed with her legs staggered away from her chest.

If this was who he was looking for, he was most definitely amused. His brother had told him he had been put into contact with a well-respectable grad-student. Straight 'A's and dean's lists were abundant for the girl named Caroline Forbes. Clearly, lighting up was even popular with the 'well-respected' people at Harvard.

His lips curved into a crooked smile, his hand loosely attached to the bathroom door. He knew better than to intrude, but the enticing scene was something that tickled his fancy.

"I would, without a doubt, enjoy that, but seeing as I am not this 'Tyler' lad, I don't think you would be pleased," he replied cheekily to the stranger.

Her eyes were lazily scanning along him as her head turned to view his figure, but as the hazy view settled into clarity, her eyes widened as if they were pried open with clips. The woman choked out a cough and sat up dramatically in the tub, water splashing about. She frantically pushed the bubbles to cover her body, putting out her blunt in a tiny puddle on the edge, and exclaimed, "Oh my god!"

Klaus was shaken out of admiring her distracting frame and high, tied up hair, which only highlighted her beautiful face. He closed his eyes, body dancing between the open space of the room and behind the white door.

"Weird intruders to the left please," she squealed out and huffed.

"My apologies, though I did knock," Klaus said less confidently, covering his eyes. In the same situation, his brother Kol would have made his leering most obvious and taken comments to the extreme. However, Klaus knew to be a gentleman and wanted to make a sliver of a good impression with the person allowing him to stay at the house.

The girl released a heavy huff, "British. Is walking in on someone, like, a part of your freaking culture or what? I thought you guys were big on politeness?"

Her defiant tone had his mind on blank. Somehow, a situation like this would have always ended in him joining the woman in the tub and...well, doing things that would not be hard to deduce. So, when her sweet voice cut into that daydream, he failed to compose himself.

Klaus cleared his throat, "It's– I just– downstairs–"

He mentally lambasted himself for being unable to formulate a proper sentence. The more he stumbled, the more he looked like an awkward pervert.

"Jesus..."

"I am assuming you are Caroline Forbes? My brother Elijah Mikaelson spoke to you. I had believed you were expecting me," he quickly sputtered out, hand still covering his eyes.

"Shit...right," she nodded with an understanding sigh before abruptly standing up in the bath, "Of course."

Klaus peeked slightly through his fingers but quickly closed them shut in response to her naked body. The suds from the bath clung to her curves, sliding down slowly. He had not expected to see a naked woman on his first day, though it was a tantalising surprise.

"Can you pass me the towel behind you? The yellow one."

Klaus nodded uncomfortably and felt around for the towel, uncovering his eyes only to make sure he had the right one. Covering his vision once more, he held out the towel with an outstretched arm. She took it, wrapping it tightly around her body and tying the fabric in.

"I'm decent now," she assured him, stepping carefully out of the bath.

He cautiously removed his hand from his face, dropping it to his side once her words were confirmed.

"Sorry about that," she spoke with an embarrassed tone before smiling brightly, "Caroline Forbes."

Caroline held out her hand and he cautiously reciprocated, shaking it gently. Her hand was no doubt soft, having been sat in the mix of steam and smoke.

He took in her delicate features. She had pert lips and full cheeks with soft hints of pink. Whether the pink came from the heat of the bathroom or naturally, it was a pleasurable sight.

Klaus had taken a moment to reply, but shrugged himself out of the daze the blonde had left him in.

"It's quite alright; I enjoyed the show. Klaus Mikaelson," he replied, squeezing her hand as he held it.

She eyed him carefully as their hands slipped away from each other. The blonde cleared her throat momentarily, purposefully rolling her shoulders.

"I'm just going to be clear: I have been toking for, like, a whole hour– so I am very wavy. Also, this will never happen again," she warned him in an urgent manner, swallowing as she noticed his crooked smile.

He nodded as if to accept this piece of information. Despite her 'waviness' and the lack of clothing, she still managed present herself with an air of confidence and leadership.

"Do you all...partake in this often?"

Caroline's eyes widened and she shook her head, "Oh no! No, of course not. I just like to chill sometimes– well..."

"I do not mind, if you are concerned about that, love."

"Love," she snorted, "Caroline."

"Caroline."

She stared, hearing her name escape his plump, pink lips. The television had always pushed forward the charming British gentleman as a stereotype, and the man before her was not helping the cause by only further affirming those ideas.

"Anyway, let's get out of here, yeah?" she ushered him out, shutting the door behind her.

"Right. Would you prefer to change before the grand tour? Not that I have any problems being shown around like this, it's just I think that would be your preference."

Caroline's cheeks were pink in embarrassment at the smirk playing at his lips.

"Definitely. I'll just be a moment if you wanna wait outside here," she told him, wandering off into a room at the end of the hallway.

"Yes, ma'am."

Klaus smiled contently and tapped his foot as he waited for her to return in a fully clothed state.

The walls in the upstairs were a wooden panelling and the floor was an oddly patterned, yellow and brown carpet. The walls were also covered with eclectic items such as a tapestry with a peace sign. It was something his father, especially, would have indulged in ridiculing. He felt, though, that it had a weird sense of character to it. It was rather enjoyable to look at.

A few moments passed and Caroline revealed herself, opening the door and brushing off the dangling beads that hit her on her way out. Her wet, blonde hair was dried to a slight dampness, ringlets of it sticking to the corners of her cheeks. Now clothed, the girl was in a flowery, over-sized chiffon dress. Although the fabric was loose, he could still make out her delicious figure through it.

He brought his attention to her eyes once she spoke.

"So, that's mine and Katherine's room. Bonnie's is across the hall. I'm gonna apologise for the decorations… Kat has been on some sorta…'trippy' bender."

"I see you got the short straw," he commented as she met him by the bathroom door.

"Literally. We picked straws on who would have to share," she laughed softly, tousling her hair, "Anyway, your room is upstairs. You'll be sharing with Stefan."

"Sharing?" his eyebrows knitted in an unamused confusion.

"Your brother said you would prefer a roommate?" Caroline blinked.

"Bloody Elijah," he muttered before presenting a fake smile, "Fantastic. My bags are downstairs. I left them with the rough bunch downstairs."

A laugh escaped Caroline's lips, a sound which Klaus was finding highly enjoyable.

"They're a little…weird, yeah. I'll get your bags for you."

"I can get them," he stopped her from getting to the stairs, "They're heavy."

The inner corners of her eyes narrowed, "So, I'll have to use what little strength I have then. I'll be right back."

Caroline rolled her eyes as she brushed past, hopping down the stairs to meet her giggling housemates, who shushed as they noticed her approach.

"I'm guessing you guys sent him up?" she placed her hands on her hips firmly.

"It was Katherine!" Stefan blurted, raising his hands up.

"I'm going to have to get that lock fixed," Caroline sighed.

"Snitches get stitches, Stef," Katherine warned flatly.

"Did you learn that phrase the last time you were in prison, Kat?"

"Yeah. From your mom," Katherine glared at Stefan before smiling sweetly at the blonde girl, "Did he enjoy the view?"

"What?"

"Hot blonde lighting it up in the tub? Pure rocket shooting material," she smirked unapologetically.

"Katherine!" Bonnie scolded, slapping the girl's arm.

Caroline simply tapped her foot impatiently, "Guys."

"Yes, sweetie?" Katherine tilted her head.

"Klaus will be staying with you, Stefan," she informed him, ready for comment.

"Stitches, Stefan, stitches," Katherine sang quietly.

"What about Damon?"

The other two girls collectively groaned, and Katherine threw the kaleidoscope at Stefan's head **—** it was a near miss.

"Booooo!" shouted Katherine.

Caroline sucked in a breath, sighing through her nose, "Your brother stopped living here once he stopped paying his share and skipped town. Besides, this is only for two months."

"Thank god," Katherine said in a relieved manner.

"I was thinking we could make him a meal as, like, a fun welcome?" Caroline suggested, excitement in her intonations.

"Gross. He is so not my style."

"You just met him?"

"Yeah, and I am good on that front."

Caroline looked at Bonnie for some backing, but the girl shook her head.

"Going to have to agree."

"Well then," the frustrated blonde huffed, picking up the two pieces of luggage near the table. They were a little heavier than she had anticipated, but she hardened her face and made her exit.

"You can all starve tonight."

"Aw, Care," Bonnie called out, slumping in her chair as the blonde disappeared.

They sat there in a moment of silence, Caroline's frustration looming over them like they were guilty children.

"So," Stefan sat up, "Takeout?"

Katherine grinned, "Pizza."

* * *

The blonde's face strained as she struggled up the last two steps. Klaus immediately took one of the bags once he had noticed her arrival.

"I've got it—" she tried to insist, but he proceeded to take the other bag, his hands grazing hers.

"Easy, love," he pulled the cases away from her grasp. She frowned at him, and his amused smile had her heading straight for the second set of stairs in frustration.

"Follow me."

Klaus chuckled to himself as he did as he was told, stepping up slowly onto the top floor of the house. The top floor was identical in size to the second floor, but the style was a little less outlandish.

"So, this Tyler you expected to join you in the tub? Boyfriend?"

His words were teasing, and whilst she found the accent paired with them very attractive, she was in no mood for flirting with the new guy. She stopped dead in front of a corner door, turning to bump into his chest.

"Of sorts," she answered, folding her arms over her front, "His room is opposite."

She nodded to the opposing side of the hallway, but he did not bother to look.

"So you aren't spoken for?"

His gaze held rather intimidatingly on her beauty, and she scoffed gently to which he looked away insecurely. It looked like the old Mikaelson charm was not to work on the plucky blonde girl.

She reached from behind to turn the bedroom doorknob, letting herself into the room backwards. The inside of the bedroom had wooden panelling for walls, as did most rooms Klaus had seen in the house, and a hideously designed, yellow shag flooring. There were two beds on either side of the room. However, both beds had items beside them, making it hard to decipher which was his.

"That's yours," Caroline pointed to the bed with a blue lava lamp sitting on the side table, "Damon–Stefan's brother–left a couple things behind, but most of his stuff is gone. I'll get Stefan to sort it out. If anything's in the way, just put it on his bed."

"I'm assuming only you were aware of my staying here?" Klaus concluded, stepping to drop his luggage in front of the bed.

The blonde hummed, pacing a little, "Pretty much. They're not very good with new people."

"I noticed, but neither am I," Klaus replied, turning to face the welcoming blonde.

Looking at him in full view, Caroline's eyes wandered over his tailored suit. Most of the Harvard guys were jerks with sticks up their asses that she had no intention of mixing with, and Klaus seemed to be no exception. The _only_ exception was Stefan, but his friendship and clothing advice were the sole reasons for keeping him around. Still, the newcomer was undoubtedly attractive, and she would sneak glances in the coming weeks.

"Apologies for the formal attire," he smiled guiltily, "I had to meet with the idiot dean earlier. I have been sweating since I had stepped onto the plane."

Caroline laughed softly, "No judgement zone here. There's a bathroom on this floor, as well, next to this room if you wanted to strip off and get a shower now."

Klaus grinned knowingly, and she blushed, clearing her throat, "Right now? I believe this is your second proposition since we have met."

The blonde groaned, holding her palms to her forehead, "Wow… Anyway," she shook her head as she moved to the door, "We're having dinner at eight if you would like to join us – a kind of welcome dinner of sorts. You can meet Tyler, as well."

His crooked smile was on full show as he watched the girl carefully and set himself onto the bed, "I think I will pass on that, love."

A frustrated breath released out of her nostrils, but she kept a smile plastered on her face as her hand came into contact with the door knob, "Well, it's not really an option. I'll see you tonight."

With her orders set, she left the room with a tight shut of the white, wooden door. He laughed incredulously to himself at the girl's demanding nature. It seemed he was now attending dinner.


	2. Chapter 2

He watched as the blue wax morphed up and down the plastic cylinder. God, he was going to kill Elijah. Perhaps he would bash the tawdry lava lamp against his head. Yes. That would do nicely. Unfortunately, he would have to wait some time before he could make that dream a reality.

Klaus stood, accepting his living conditions, and made work of removing the items from the bed that did not belong to him. There were a pair of sunglasses, a couple of bracelets, and a small black book in the middle of the bed, all of which he immediately took to placing on the other bed.

Stefan's bed was decorated with a warm yellow blanket atop a darker set of sheets – not too shabby – and his area as a whole was clean enough for Klaus to assume he would be acceptable as a roommate.

As he lifted one of his suitcases onto the dark purple linens, he noticed another item tucked under the pillow. Slipping it out from under, his lips spread into a disbelieving smirk. Playboy Magazine. Granted, it was from a year prior, but the articles still stood in between the curled in pages. He knew this was something that his younger brother would immediately swipe and take into a corner room. The previous owner would surely have found some things in common with his brother if the magazine was anything to go by.

The bedroom door clicked open to Stefan, whose lips curved into a mocking smile at the sight.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you."

With a clearing of his throat, Klaus held the magazine behind his back, "Sorry?"

"Damon was very...hands on with that thing... Great articles, huh?"

The Salvatore boy strode across to his side of the room, fingering the few items placed onto his bed.

Klaus scoffed and held it out to his new roommate, "Well, it's no loss to me. Your brother can keep it."

"Ha! Yeah…no thanks. If Damon ever comes back, I doubt that'll be the first thing on his mind. You can throw it in the trash," Stefan nodded to a small grey cylinder in the corner of the room in between storing his brother's items into a bottom drawer.

"Right."

Klaus quickly threw the scandalous piece of journalism into the trashcan before returning to unpack his own belongings. He dropped each item of clothing into the drawers of what he could only describe as a 'makeshift' piece of furniture.

Stefan eyed the newcomer carefully as he sat onto his bed.

"Look, if we're gonna be 'roomies', there's a few rules—"

The Brit held up a hand to interrupt, "Firstly, I must request that you do not say 'roomie'; I don't intend to live out some…fraternity fantasy. Secondly, whatever your rules may be, I do not care quite frankly. I will stay out of your way and you can stay out of mine."

A slow nod was given in answer, and Stefan awkwardly looked away. The phrase 'what a douche' was firmly planted in his mind.

Klaus smirked, placing the rest of his clothing into the appropriate drawers. The alpha spot over the scarf wearer was secured.

"You like hockey?"

The newbie frowned initially, but a mirthful smile replaced it.

"Do you…comprehend words and choose to ignore them or do you just let them pass through your seemingly empty head?"

Stefan placed a hand on his hip along with a shrug.

"So, _do_ you like hockey?"

Klaus scoffed in disbelief. He chose to ignore the overzealous man this time. That was until his mind drifted to a certain blonde that had caught his attention.

"Although…" his voice lifted devilishly, "What can you tell me about your friend Caroline?"

Stefan's eyes narrowed suddenly, "Tell you? Nothing. Tell others? A lot."

The man turned, raising a brow, "Is that so?"

"'Tis," Stefan replied dryly, "Unless you're ready to stop being a mega douche and start being roomies."

Klaus quietly chuckled as he slammed his suitcase shut, "Well then, 'roomie', it seems we are at a stalemate."

* * *

"You better not," the young blonde warned, a finger wagging at her friend. There was a slight whine in her voice as she continued, "I really want everyone to get along and have a nice dinner, okay?"

Katherine stood there near the phone, her fingers itching to wrap around the yellowing coiled cord.

"But…Pizza."

"Sit your butt down, Katerina Pierce."

The brunette could not help the scrunching of her nose due to hearing her name in full said by her close friend.

"It's like being at home again…Jesus…" she mumbled, semi-frustrated, while she made her way to slump into a tall chair at the table.

Caroline smirked in triumph, returning to stir the saucy concoction in the large green pot. She jiggled about the knob to turn the heat to a simmer, a huff at the ready as it proved as difficult as always.

"Smells delicious," a yawning Bonnie complimented as she tottered down the steep staircase into the opening of the dining area.

"Thanks, Bon. Did you get—"

"Pizza would'a been a treat though…" Katherine interjected.

Caroline frowned disapprovingly at the interruption before completing her sentence once Katherine had batted her eyelashes innocently, "…Did you get a chance to finish your notes on chapter five?"

The tired girl groaned and propped herself onto the orange laminate counter, "I've just barely finished four. It…killed off all of my brain cells faster than you can say 'law student'."

She fiddled with a couple curls, "I'll hand the notes out at the study sesh next week. You?"

She laughed sympathetically, tilting her head towards Bonnie, "I wrote up six…and got a head start on my chapter for the book by West…"

"Of course you did."

A playful eye roll followed her words.

"Do you think you can stop making the rest of us look bad, Caroline?"

"Now, why would I want to stop doing that, Bon?"

She raised an eyebrow, a slightly devilish smile teasing her lips, "Besides, the more I do it, the more I piss off that airhead Hayley."

Katherine and Bonnie shared a joking gasp, directing their full attention to a shying Caroline.

"Miss Forbes…I love it when you talk dirty," Katherine feigned a swoon, "Insult people more, baby."

They laughed in unison, chattering away as Caroline poured the sauce into the pot of pasta and began stirring. The steam rose nicely, the scent wafting throughout the downstairs and slowly up through the house.

The steps of the stairs once again welcomed the contacting shoes. Stefan lazily took to his seat, legs swung wide as he leaned back. The second set of footsteps brought themselves in the opposite direction, choosing to land beside her.

"Smells absolutely inviting," his voice enveloped her ears with its warm tone.

Caroline shivered in surprise, "You were invited to eat, not to scare the crap out of me."

"My apologies."

He chuckled and took his place at the table with the rest of his new housemates.

Katherine was quick to eye him with disdain. She then smiled happily towards her friend.

"So, Stefan, I'm surprised you haven't found the nearest bridge to jump off of yet."

"Couldn't find my map of the city," Stefan retorted. He reached out a hand to the table but groaned at the empty air. Standing up lazily, he moved to swing open the refrigerator.

"Drinks, anybody?" he offered, gesturing to the assortment of bottles.

"Beer me," commanded Katherine.

Bonnie, too, raised a hand.

"I second that!"

A couple of finger guns were shot the girls' way before they were passed a bottle each.

"Klaus?"

"I'm more of a wine person, mate. I don't suppose you would have any?"

Caroline lifted her head a little, watching their interaction.

"Sorry," Stefan winced, "We have grape soda?"

"Grape…soda?"

"It's grape-alicious…?"

The blonde laughed softly as she dished out the pasta carefully plate by plate.

"I'll take a water, but thank you."

Klaus stood from his chair, passing Stefan who returned to his place with a can of soda.

"I'll get that for you. I'm having the same," Caroline spoke, her eyes meeting his.

With one eyebrow raised, Klaus nodded thankfully. He did not sit down, however. He took a couple plates of food and began serving them. She in turn raised an eyebrow, but soon proceeded to the faucet.

"Love the food; not sure about the waiter," Katherine muttered as her plate was set down in front of her.

"This looks wonderful, Caroline," Bonnie complimented, rolling her eyes playfully.

"Thanks, guys," the chef of the night said, setting down two glasses of water. She then intercepted Klaus' attempt to collect the rest of the plates.

"You don't have to do that."

"Why not? I'm not a guest. I'm a housemate. I should be pulling my own weight," he argued, his reply soft yet firm.

A quiet huff left her lips, her eyes wandering away.

"I'll give you a proposal: I take a plate for you and Stefan, and you can take my plate."

Her blue eyes took immediately to his. His persistence was almost charming. Regardless, she squinted in annoyance.

"Fine, I guess."

Her speech was breathy, lingering on the last syllable. She took grip of a plate and left him standing alone to serve the food.

Once sat, she smiled gratefully, but could not contain a smirk when he served the final plates.

"Food serving foreplay," Katherine whispered mischievously across the table.

Caroline frowned at her friend who then poked her tongue out with a wink. She picked up her fork, viewing them all with a bright expression as Klaus settled into his own seat.

"Dig in, guys."

The group began their meals, various noises of approval coming from each person in the group.

"So, Klaus, got any plans for the week? You'll probably wanna check the area out," Bonnie attempted conversation, her fork spinning in the pasta.

"I—"

"Unfortunately, there's no crocket playing around here, 'ol chap."

Katherine smirked, swinging her clenched fist towards her other side jokingly.

He laughed dismissively, "Crocket… Ridiculous… I've not played that since I was in primary education."

Katherine's eyes only pierced him with disdain, yet Caroline found herself stifling a grin, which Klaus greatly appreciated.

"I'm actually not quite sure what I'll do. What would you suggest?" he asked with an eyebrow raised, placing his cutlery down.

The snarky brunette took a glance at Caroline, pausing for a moment as she thought. Caroline furrowed her brows, but with eyes wide, shook her head when she saw her friend grin intently.

"Well, _we're_ going to a house party if you wanted to slum it for a nigh—"

"Invite _only_." Caroline said pressingly. Klaus' gaze flicked to her momentarily. Her jaw twitched nervously.

"Like they'll care," Katherine dismissed her before facing Klaus, "There'll be drinking, smoking, the usual."

"Something that is right up your alley, I suppose?"

She rolled her eyes at the man, "Yes – along with burning flags and hardcore sex."

Caroline released a gentle cough in surprise, "Katherine."

"You know, Klaus, I bet you're real excited to see all the courtroom action here, huh?" Katherine pressed a finger against her temple playfully, leaning her head to one side.

"Hardly."

"Right right – you're not a fan of Americans and law. Why was that again?"

The ever-present glint in Katherine's eyes intensified, the bait dangling from her hand.

Her target scoffed, "It's all about showboating here. Harvard's the only law school worth noticing and if you can't make it into Harvard then your skills are clearly poor."

Bonnie raised her head to reply but was beaten to the punch.

"That's a pretty asinine way of looking at it, don't you think? Harvard is pretty restrictive; that's why I couldn't get in," Caroline inquired, eyebrow raised expectantly.

Klaus' gaze shifted from engaging in word combat to insecurely listening to Caroline's interjecting criticism. Nonetheless, he shook his head in an effort to keep his composure.

"I'm sure you're intelligent, Caroline, but Harvard does have an incredibly high standard so that's probably why."

The blonde laughed with softness, but smiled bitterly as an amused Katherine watched from the side-lines.

"For your information, the reason I can't get into Harvard Law is because they're reluctant to accept women, so I'm stuck at Boston Law – Sorry, Bonnie – studying a degree to increase my 'poor skills'."

"No offence taken…I think," Bonnie muttered in confusion.

"Next time, you want to put your two cents in about my intelligence, maybe think about your audience," she said swiftly and returned to her food. The Brit's expression had dropped in her response, and he, too, returned to his food like a wounded dog.

"Okay…I take it back…this is much better than being back at home," Katherine piped up, grinning from ear to ear like the Cheshire Cat. Bonnie simply slapped her forehead in embarrassment while Stefan chuckled into his dinner plate.

After many minutes of silence, it was only the sound of the front door being unlocked that offered the group peace. A man of medium height and a clean shaven jaw stepped in, receiving happy greetings from those who knew him among the table. Caroline, in particular, brought her focus to him with a bright smile and stood to welcome him.

"Tyler!"

"Hey, Care," he brought his hand around her waist.

"You said you'd finish early today," the blonde frowned, fingers pressed lightly against his chest.

Klaus' eyes unwillingly wandered to the couple. It must have been the man she had expected to see in the bathroom instead of him. Her fingers were awfully nimble in fiddling with the man's shirt, and her eyes were wide in expectation.

He quickly brought himself back to reality and to eating his food before his stare became noticeable.

"I know…but one of the girls called in sick," Tyler explained, taking one of Caroline's hands loosely and kissed her cheek.

"Gross," Katherine pulled her tongue out.

"Don't be such a child," Stefan berated her with a nudge.

Tyler laughed at his friends' reactions, pausing at an unfamiliar man at the table.

"Hey there…" he greeted with a slight squint of his eyes.

The stranger rose from his seat to introduce himself.

"Klaus Mikaelson."

"Klaus is our new roommate," Caroline smiled awkwardly, busying herself by collecting empty plates from the table as she felt Klaus' eyes on her for a long moment.

Tyler eyed his grin warily as Klaus made eye contact, "Nice to meet you, bro. I hope you're not as messy as the last guy."

"He has a name," Stefan noted.

"No one cares," whispered Katherine, to which Stefan silently looked in dismay.

Klaus smirked, taking a moment to size Tyler up before nodding.

"I'm sure I can manage that."

"Oh— you're from 'across the pond'."

"Yes."

"Good luck then," Tyler laughed, abruptly moving to wrap his arms around the nearby girl, "Now, I'm taking the blonde and no one gets hurt."

Caroline almost squeaked, accepting the decision as she was pulled up the stairs, "Someone do the dishes, please."

"No," both Stefan and Katherine answered in unison.

"I'll do it," Bonnie sighed, finishing her last strings of pasta.

Klaus held an amused expression at the light tone in Caroline's reactions as he sat back into his seat. It seemed he was out of his depth with the girl.

Slow clapping was had from Katherine, "Smooth."

Unimpressed, Klaus leaned his elbows onto the table, "I take it that you enjoyed the tension?"

"Very much so, my good lad!"

Bonnie and Stefan cringed at the brunette's painful attempt at a British accent, while Katherine grinned with satisfaction at her performance. She took her plate to the sink to rinse, leaving it dripping wet on the side as she took more beer from the refrigerator.

"I'll be retreating to my room with a couple of beers now. Laters," she called as she threw a 'V' up with her free hand.

"My beer?" Stefan held his arms out in annoyance.

Bonnie placed a hand over his arm, "Don't. It's a lost cause."

* * *

Her breathless expression turned pleasurable as her head fell against the pillow beside his head. She had sorely needed the release after the long week studying. While they were not starting the academic semester for another month, it was important to get ahead of the readings no matter how one approached work.

She brushed a stray hair from her cheek, watching the dark-haired man next to her.

"So, what d'you think of Klaus?"

It was only a click or two before he had lit up his cigarette, the smoke puffing out as he spoke.

"New guy? Seems a little odd."

Caroline breathed out a laugh, fiddling with her hands.

"You just met him, Tyler."

Tyler's lips tugged out into a grin, cigarette hanging from his mouth.

"Look," he started, taking his cigarette between two fingers and facing the blonde, "I've got nothing against the dude, but I've heard the accent is very alluring to some."

"Some being...?"

"I mean, I don't know if it's scientifically accurate..."

He trailed off, his eyes wandering. She simply nodded with an innocent smile and rested her head on one fist.

"But I hear the most susceptible are pretty blondes that he can't stop staring at."

Caroline's expression dropped but quickly resumed its playfulness.

"He was not staring at me," she denied, slapping a hand against his tanned bare chest, which he immediately took hold of.

Removing the stick of tobacco from his mouth, Tyler pulled her close and smirked at her now pouting lips.

"The question is: what do _you_ think of him, Care?"

With a light scoff, she replied, "I don't know. He's seems like a snob to me."

An eyebrow raise was had from him.

"Now who's making assumptions?"

Caroline tilted her head side to side, " _You_ just met him. _I've_ been around him enough to get an idea."

"You're not allowed to be jealous anyway, Ty," she reminded him, wriggling her hand away.

"And if we were exclusive, I would be?" he asked, staring at her naked frame with a teasing gaze.

The blonde sat up, fixing her mess of hair to one side, "If we were, but we're not."

"Could change," he hummed out his response, a smirk on display as he took a long drag of his cigarette.

Her pink lips pressed together, thoughts slowly gathering.

"I'm not the one who made the rules," she argued with a light tone, leaving the bed to slip her panties and an oversized shirt on, "You know those things are gonna kill you, right?"

"Not if I kill them first."

"That—"

Caroline stifled a laugh, his odd humour tickling her senses, and folded her arms, "Sure."

"You laugh now, but the moment cigarettes gain intelligence, they're coming for you."

A giggle escaped her lips, "Shut up. I'm gonna get some water. I'll be right back, and then we can snuggle, hm?"

"I'll probably fall asleep by then, babe," he told her with a dismayed smile, "Rain check on snuggles? Tomorrow?"

Tyler liked to tease the idea of them together and play their interactions out like they were a couple, but he did not want it really. He wanted the idea of it, and though she would not admit that she liked to do the same, that thought was still there.

She rolled her eyes but nodded, "Yeah. Goodnight, Ty."

"'Night, Care. Shut the door tight."

The disappointed blonde stepped into the corridor, pausing at the threshold before pulling the door shut behind her.

"And that is _why_ we're not exclusive," she muttered in irritation, hopping down the towering stairs.

The stairs creaked, with one particular board standing out as the loudest. She could beg and beg the landlord to fix the little imperfections of their run-down home, but it would neither be done nor be something she would want done; Caroline appreciated the squeaking boards and peeling paint a little too much for her roommates to handle.

Most of the lights were out as she made her way down. The lights from the downstairs were bouncing off the walls to give her some guidance. She made the final steps down into the kitchen area, taking notice of the male figure across the room in an arm chair.

"You're still up?" she asked, running the faucet to cool the water, and brought a glass down from a shelf.

"Night time is the best time to sketch," a deep, calm voice replied.

The blonde flinched, eyes wide and a hand on her chest as she faced him, "I thought you were Stefan."

"Unless he has turned into a British man, I would say no."

There was a moment of silence. She chose to continue with pouring herself a drink instead of acknowledging him.

"Had enough fun with your…? Well, I don't know what you would like to call him," he pondered, a brow raised in amusement.

"I don't think that's any of your business…"

With her glass of water, Caroline moved to meet him in the lounge, sitting on the armchair adjacent to his. He sighed in defeat, weighing up his options before speaking.

"Caroline, I would…like to apologise for my remarks earlier."

Klaus did not look up from his sketch, dragging his pencil along the page with ease. After only a moment of surprise, her lips spread into a grin as she watched him focus on swiftly pressing the pencil against the paper.

"Okay," she nodded, waiting for his face to lift and for his eyes to land on her before continuing, "Apologise away."

He froze but shortly shifted in his seat, "Right. I am…sorry that I judged you."

"For…?" she said, lingering on her word with enjoyment.

A small smile was placed on his face.

"For your education…and that I insulted your intelligence."

"Wow. I didn't even have to push for that last bit. Gold star," she complimented sarcastically, dropping her tone into a softer one in continuing, "Thank you."

He nodded slowly and resumed his sketching. Caroline slowly looked over him, catching only a glimpse of the work in his hands: a figure of a person.

"The Harvard Law student is secretly a master artist, huh?" she interrogated jokingly, leaning over slightly.

"It is scandalous, I am aware."

Klaus chuckled, turning his pad over, face-down, and grinned at the blonde.

He trailed his eyes down from her messy hair to her bare legs pulled up onto the armchair.

Caroline insecurely pulled the edges of her t-shirt down; her escapades were far from inconspicuous.

He avoided laughing at her efforts to cover up, instead, choosing to start a new topic.

"So, there's a party tomorrow, hm?"

"Uh," she smiled awkwardly, "Yeah…but I don't think it's your scene."

"You know what my scene is?" he teased.

"I mean…I can infer. Maybe it's not crocket, but you don't seem like the party hard type."

"And you are, Miss Forbes?"

Her eyelashes batted slowly as she enjoyed the way he addressed her.

"Sometimes."

"It might be nice to attend an American house party, though I'm not much for beer," he said with an unfortunate tone.

Caroline smiled sympathetically, but soon stood up to grab two glasses from the cupboards, placing them on the coffee table.

"What are you—"

Crouching near the fireplace, he watched her pull out a large block from the side. The fireplace looked dusty and of course, neglected by its lack of coal or kindling. From behind the block, she collected a bottle of red wine and settled the cover back in its place.

"So, I occasionally…like to drink wine. I might not be 'Harvard material', but I'm smart enough to know not to keep my alcohol in reach of the others," she informed him, cracking the cap open and pouring a sizeable amount into the empty glasses.

He smiled guiltily at her dig at him, sitting further onto the edge of his seat and placing his sketchpad behind his back.

"Grape soda doesn't really mimic the real thing," she laughed quietly, offering a glass which he immediately welcomed.

"Thank you, Caroline."

* * *

 **A/N: Wow. I've finally posted chapter two after...too many months. Let's not count! I just want to thank whoever has been asking me on tumblr about this update because I really appreciate knowing someone is interested! I hope this chapter was a fun read and soon enough (definitely soon haha there won't be another break for a while) I will publish the chapter 3 that I am very much excited for!**


	3. Chapter 3

Flicking the wand up, the black liquid brushed through her fair-haired lashes. Finally, her gold packaged red lipstick was applied over her small, yet plump, lips. She smiled contently as she leaned on her knuckles. She viewed her impressive copy of the look printed in the pages of her Charm magazine, which lay on the side of the shared vanity table.

"Oh, happy birthday, Mr. President," Katherine feigned a swoon when she had walked through the door, the beads that were hung clanging against the wood. She flopped onto her bed, leaning on one hand and adjusting her hair to the side.

"You're not wearing that to the party, are you? I mean, I love it, but it's a little too va-va-voom."

Caroline shook her head gently, a smile on her face as she spoke wistfully, "No. I just wanted to try it on."

"Well, I'd let you sleep with my wife," the brunette growled sensually before letting a brow rise, "Is that your mom's lipstick?"

"Mhm…"

Katherine smiled softly, moving off the bed to bring her arms around the girl's sitting frame from behind.

"I think she would love this."

"You think?" Caroline sighed quietly, rolling the lipstick tube in between two fingers.

"Oh, definitely."

Katherine began to grin, whispering in her ear, "I bet new guy would like it too."

The blonde rolled her eyes, batting her friend's hands away gently.

"And Tyler," she raised her hands in defence, giggling as she crashed back onto the messy bed she had previously taken over.

"Still thinking of where to bury him after his dumbass ways last night?"

"Tyler?" she froze slightly once she saw Katherine's inquisitive expression, laughing to cover herself, "Oh— Klaus. Yeah. I mean—no. Actually, he said sorry."

"What? Seriously? …Wow."

She sat up, slinking herself to the edge of the bed, "But now, I'm more interested in what's going on with Tyler…"

An incessant knock interrupted the two to Caroline's relief.

It was not that her friend was not aware of the agreement had between her and Tyler, but she heavily relented discussing the details of their 'sordid exchanges' as Katherine liked to label them.

"You guys decent?" asked Bonnie through the door, her hand already twisting the door knob.

"Let me just finish masturbating," Katherine groaned out loudly, lying back with her arms outstretched above her head.

"You're gross," Bonnie commented disdainfully, a hint of a smile threatening to ruin the reprimanding of Katherine. After closing the door, she sat beside her honest friend who sat up again to allow free space on the bed.

"Don't knock it 'till you've tried it," the chestnut haired girl mused, viewing her nails before glancing at her friend salaciously.

"Anyway… Care, you look beautiful."

"Thank you," Caroline smiled, leaning over the back of her chair to face her friend.

Bonnie stood up, viewing the blonde through the large mirror sat atop the vanity table. She smiled brightly as she picked up the magazine. The cover was of a petite blonde with a bold lip and dark eyebrows, practically buried under a layer of white fabric.

"Oh my gosh! I remember these. Your mom used to hoard them and then give them to my mom when she was done," Bonnie gushed as she flipped the pages, delight spreading on Caroline's face.

"I didn't know you had one! Where'd you get this?"

She smiled, a sadness playing at her lips, "I kept a couple in a shoebox. You can have a look at them one day if you like."

Bonnie nodded fervently, placing the magazine back on a mauve cloth on the table.

"Can we get back to discussing what's important, please?"

The pair looked at Katherine blankly, though Caroline repressed the need to chew her lip nervously at the impending topic.

"And that is?" Bonnie inquired, choosing to sit on Caroline's bed this time.

"Well, firstly, new guy, a.k.a. the douche nozzle, actually _apologised_ to Caroline," Katherine wiggled her brows.

"Very creative nickname. Well done."

"Thank you. And it seems our dear Caroline is having relationship troubles with a certain buff jock."

"Kat, do you only ever think about men?"

"Men? No. Drama, and sex? Hell yes," she smirked, twirling a strand of her hair jokingly.

"You and Tyler are having problems?" Bonnie interjected, frowning.

Caroline whined at the prospect of discussion, "I mean…"

Both girls had expectant looks on their faces, Katherine's conveying a more devilish tone than Bonnie's serious one.

"We're not together, so can there ever really _be_ problems?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"Agreed," said Bonnie, folding her arms.

"It's…"

Katherine sighed, "Spit it out, Care. Is it the sex?"

"Is he not…performing?" asked Bonnie, quietly.

"No! I mean…he has no issues there…well—"

Her audience members shared glances filled with intrigue. From the moment Caroline and Tyler were a 'thing', the pair had longed for the scandalous details while Stefan rolled his eyes at them every time (despite his clear interest in the drama).

"That's not the point. The point is: We keep having sex…and he acts like he wants a relationship...but, like, he doesn't ask. Y'know?"

Bonnie simply sighed while Katherine most obviously groaned as she rolled her eyes.

"While I don't think we're necessarily qualified to give advice, —one of us being a borderline nymphomaniac, and I haven't had a relationship in who knows how long—"

"2 years," Katherine coughed, receiving a glare from Bonnie.

" _While_ we might not have much experience in that sort of situation, being single means that we have no disillusions about who we are as people in relation to the people we date—"

"Basically, he sucks."

"Basically, yeah."

"I'm single," Caroline raised her disagreement, a pout placed on her lips.

" _Please_ ," Bonnie began, disbelief dripping from her speech, "You have sex with Tyler; you, for all intents and purposes without labelling it so, go on dates; and you don't see anyone else. You are not single."

"My attorney is correct," Katherine joked, presenting a serious expression before smiling sympathetically, "Seriously though, you wanna know why Tyler doesn't ask?"

Caroline nodded slowly.

"Tyler Lockwood doesn't ask because he doesn't have a reason to ask."

She rose from her seated position, coming over to cup her younger friend's cheeks, "He thinks that you're all his. He doesn't need the label; you do all the work. _Tyler Lockwood_ gets to be a free man with all the benefits of a 'stable relationship' while you commit yourself to him and him only."

Caroline scrunched up her nose, "Then what you're saying is…?"

Releasing Caroline's cheeks, Katherine placed her hands on her hips, "Look, the moment you start acting like you're into someone else, he'll come crawling like the little bitch he is."

"So, if I make him jealous, then he'll ask?"

"I don't think that's what Katherine means," Bonnie attempted to guide Caroline onto the right path, "What's she's trying to say is that he's not worth—"

"I can make him jealous," Caroline nodded confidently.

"We've lost her," Katherine shook her head, muttering to Bonnie.

"The party tonight is PERFECT for it!" she smiled triumphantly, facing the mirror again, "But first, I think you were right about this look being a bit…too much."

Caroline stood with purpose, tapping her fingers against her hips while looking expectantly at Katherine.

"I left the makeup wipes in the bathroom upstairs," the brunette said without much resistance, limply holding a hand in a gesturing fashion.

"Thank you," Caroline sang, taking her leave from the bedroom and rushing up the stairs to the top floor.

She hummed as she took no thought into her next actions, pushing into the bathroom door as she twisted the handle. Regret was immediately flushing through her mind along with a range of other emotions as she had a full view of a wet, shirtless Klaus in front of her.

* * *

He turned off the water with a firm grasp on the rusting metal knob, stepping out of the tub to wrap a towel around his waist. The pressure of the water left much to be desired, though he supposed it was inevitable what with the state of the house's outer presentation.

The night time had been interesting for the newcomer; Stefan had mumbled in his sleep about how he should start a diary, labelling it the 'in-thing', and the springs on the bed were definitely keeping Klaus on his toes. Despite the niggling annoyances, his sleep was fairly acceptable, and Klaus had spent the better part of the day sketching up in his room.

As he shut the mirrored door cabinet after taking out his cologne, he noticed the array of skincare products on the top shelf. It could have belonged to any of the girls, though he wondered why they could not keep their products to their own bathroom, but his mind soon drifted to the blonde distraction he had sat with late at night. Wine drinking aside, they had time to talk without the audience of their many housemates.

" _So, where'd you learn how to draw?" her head tilted (adorably, as he viewed it) and she swirled the wine around in her glass._

" _My grandfather was incredibly invested in collecting art…and then occasionally painting some forgeries in his spare time," Klaus chuckled, stopping to sip the rich, red liquid._

" _Seriously?" she questioned with bright eyes, "He didn't get caught? Not once?"_

" _Not that I know of," he joked, the corners of his lips stretching up, "Which reminds me: I do believe I saw a wanted poster with his face on."_

 _Her giggle vibrated through the air to his enjoyment._

" _He taught you, then?"_

 _Klaus shook his head, an involuntarily sad smile seeping through his expression, "He did not. He did gift me my first art set, however."_

 _Her eyes took curiously to his attempt to hide any semblance of sadness, and she adjusted herself when he did the same with a brighter tone to his voice as he spoke._

" _In any case, I think I should be going to bed," he stood, placing his glass on the table as he held his sketchpad tightly against his chest._

" _Thank you for the wine," he smiled cheekily, his confident demeanour on show, "Goodnight, Caroline."_

" _Oh, uh," she started disappointedly but followed up with a warm smile, "Goodnight."_

It was refreshing to hear her kind voice as she asked him various questions about his art that he had never thought to answer before. It could not be all bad living in a questionably decorated house with five other people, especially when one of them was as beautiful and intriguing as she was.

He flinched as he finished using the bottle of cologne, being surprised by the door opening with such force. There was Caroline, dressed in short-shorts and a t-shirt, and donning a face of makeup that begged him to keep staring at risk of a heart attack.

He rolled his shoulders and cleared his throat, eyeing her appreciatively.

"Now, sweetheart, I know you might feel you must be owed retribution for my _accidental_ interruption of you in the bathroom, but I do rather think it is unfair to do the same to me," he leaned slightly on one foot, raising an eyebrow.

"I…"

Caroline was not sure what she had expected from seeing him without a shirt. He was fairly muscular, but not at a showboating level and he surprisingly had a tattoo right across his chest. Seeing his smirk and his shirtless frame in tandem was pulling some strings in her brain that had her fighting off biting her deep red lip.

"What?"

He leaned forward ever so slightly, but it sent her mind reeling as she caught the scent of what she could only deduce as a spice. It tickled her senses and yet she remained as composed as she could allow herself.

"I just needed to get something," she muttered, allowing herself a moment to scan down his chest.

It was tempting to tease her for her obvious ogling, but Klaus simply stepped aside and leant against the opposing red wall.

"By all means."

She swallowed inconspicuously as she took to her task of retrieving the makeup wipes from the cupboard. It seemed that Katherine had strategically placed them at the back in the hope that no one else would use them, but Caroline felt firm in the fact that she would never abuse that kind of knowledge.

Before she could pull them out, Klaus was hovering above her and reaching into the cupboard as well. He placed a dark brown bottle of cologne on the bottom shelf, his toned arm distracting her sight. She glanced at him, pack of wipes in hand.

He desired to make an off-the-cuff comment, but he froze once he had noticed her bright blue eyes roving from his hand and along his arm to meet his eyes. He sucked in a breath quietly, glancing momentarily at her pin-up-like lips.

Caroline smiled awkwardly as she held the wipes against her chest, attempting to push out words from her mouth, "So, are you gonna come to the party?"

He clicked shut the cupboard door, his eyes refusing to leave hers.

"I suppose I should, shouldn't I?"

"It might help for you to socialise. You can learn the wild ways of Americans," she joked, laughing softly.

"Of course," he nodded slowly, taking in the view once more, "Should I be wearing a suit then?"

She blinked. He simply tapped his own lips.

"Oh," she smiled shyly, shaking her head, "I was just testing something. I'm not—"

"You look stunning, Caroline," he complimented, grin spread across his face.

Her stare held on his face, watching his cheeky expression before scoffing softly with a smile. His grin faltered for a moment at her scoff, but thankfully for him, she did not notice nor mention it.

"We're leaving at eight," she muttered with an attempt at composure, backing out of the bathroom with the packet of wipes.

* * *

"So, what sort of things do people wear at house parties?"

"You've never been to one? You do have houses in Ye Old Land of England, right?" Stefan mocked, fixing his purple neck scarf in the standing mirror.

"Do I have to acknowledge that? Obviously."

"And you have parties…?"

Klaus rolled his eyes as Stefan drew out his words.

"Do people not have parties in houses in England?" Stefan inquired with a scrunched up face.

"Stefan," Klaus said with a serious tone, "I have spent the majority of my life in a boarding school with a uniform and the types of parties I go to are more…"

"Pretentious?"

"Elitist," he finished, eyeing his roommate with annoyance, "They are strictly formal."

Stefan rolled his eyes dramatically, leaning against his dresser. Klaus jutted out his chin expectantly.

Stefan then sighed and stood tall, gesturing to himself. The heel of his boot hit the floor with a small thud.

"Fun and casual."

"I'm sorry; did I just enter a dreadful catalogue for men?"

"Fine, I won't help," he smiled contently, moving to sort out the mess of clothing he had left on his bed.

Though unimpressed, Klaus groaned internally as he shook his head, "Okay okay. Just…I do not believe I…suit the uh…flair that you hold."

"Well, we can't all be as fantastic as I am," Stefan huffed, but folded his arms with a friendly smile, "What did you bring with you?"

A triumphant grin flashed on Klaus' face, and he made his way to his dresser, opening the top two drawers for public view. Stefan wandered over, inspecting the shirts that were oddly folded into the drawers. He let an eyebrow rise in intrigue as he held one item up to view.

* * *

They sat into the car one by one, Caroline taking the driver's seat with a firm grasp on the steering wheel. Katherine, of course, had called shotgun the moment someone started the sentence 'let's go'. Caroline was not a fan of the jittering of the car every time it started up, but when she inherited the rusty thing she could hardly say no to a free ride. Katherine and Stefan were particularly excited to be chauffeured around the city, though Caroline instated a limit of one ride a week between them. Gas was something she avoided having to fill up; it was too expensive and too irritating to do.

She turned her head as she watched Klaus squish into the back next to Stefan, who held his hands close to his chest. Poor kid always lost shotgun to the feisty brunette and her quick reflexes. Klaus was wearing a plain black turtle neck and from what she could spot as he climbed in, some flared jeans. Very James Bond. She allowed a small smirk to form on her lips while Klaus secured his seatbelt. She only pressed her lips together harshly once she had noticed the bigger smirk on Katherine's face.

Caroline cleared her throat, "Right. Let's get this hunk of junk to a house party!"

Katherine whooped, clapping as she rested her feet on the dashboard lazily.

Bonnie fidgeted slightly, grumbling, "At least Tyler isn't here too."

"Otherwise you'd be sitting in my lap, toots," Katherine turned around slightly to wink at her friend, blowing a kiss, to Bonnie's disdain.

"Where is the quarter back, anyway?" she then asked inquisitively, raising an eyebrow.

Caroline rolled her eyes, "Work. He'll be joining us later."

"I hope he brings more alcohol with him," interjected Stefan, whose face scrunched up at the lack of space between him and his backseat mates.

"I will second that."

Katherine raised a hand, watching the passing houses from the window.

They made a stop to pick up various liquors and mixers, Stefan and Bonnie holding onto the brunt of it while Katherine clung to a single bottle of vodka that she fully intended to share with no one. It was not long before they were pulling up alongside a large house, small groups of people scattered on the immaculate lawn in front.

Katherine was first out, swinging the door out as she let her heeled, orange thigh-high boots make contact with the concrete.

"If you need me, don't."

Bonnie scoffed gently, awkwardly allowing herself out of the vehicle with two six-packs in hand.

"Remind me why she's never the designated driver," Bonnie smiled forcedly at Stefan, who shrugged.

"Because she can't drive?" he reasoned as they got out of the car.

"Maybe it's time to teach her."

Caroline turned off the ignition, pausing to check her makeup in the rear view mirror.

"You look beautiful," Klaus commented from behind, startling her.

She pressed her lips together, resisting the smile that threatened her expression. He stepped out to catch up with the other members of their house, leaving Caroline's eyes to follow his figure through the window. He certainly was adamant on buttering her up, but she shook her head at the positive thought. With the release of a heavy breath, Caroline presented a bright smile as she, too, exited the rusty vehicle to join the party that was already in full swing.

Klaus was lingering by the stairs, prepared reengage with Caroline, but was intercepted by another figure.

"Caroline," exclaimed a voice from the side, the tall man it belonged to opening his arms for her.

"Kai," she greeted warmly, reciprocating the friendly hug.

Kai was a fellow law student, but like Stefan, he was at Harvard. He was smart and handsome, and his social life was definitely one not to be competed with. However, his true luck was in who his family was. The Parker family was full of lawyers and a couple former Supreme Court members, which meant he was incredibly loaded.

"How's the cardboard box you guys call home holding up?"

And incredibly out of touch.

Caroline rolled her eyes very conspicuously, to which he laughed aloud and held onto her arms gently.

"I kid, Forbes. Now, where's good ol' Bon Bon?"

"She must already be hiding from you," she theorised, slipping away from his grasp.

"Perfect. I have an internship to lord over her," he mused whimsically, straying from where they stood.

"Boston's finest?" Klaus inquired, rolling his sleeves up as he met Caroline in the entrance.

"Unfortunately. He throws a good party, though."

She let her eyes rove over his outfit, nodding with approval.

"Well, at least it's not a suit."

Klaus smirked, eyeing up her appearance in turn. She had toned down the makeup with a nude lip to pair with her white fringed top and black shorts, and while he enjoyed seeing her slender legs, it made him feel incredibly overdressed.

"Either way, I couldn't keep up with you. Although, I did enjoy the red lip…"

He let his eyes flick to hers innocently.

"Care to show me the ropes of a house party?"

Caroline debated silently, but nodded once she had found no reason to refuse.

"I guess I can spare a few minutes," she attempted a nonchalant demeanour, taking a few steps into the dining room with Klaus lingering beside her. Kai had clearly done his best to hide away the valuable items and had even pushed the large oak table back against the cabinets to serve as the main hub for alcohol and snacks.

Her expression dulled as they were immediately greeted by a leggy, short-haired blonde whose hand was already clasping a glass of rosé wine.

"Hi, Care bear. Who's your friend?" she inquired enthusiastically, raising an eyebrow.

Caroline winced at the nickname.

"Cami," she braced a smile, darting her eyes between her and the object of Cami's desire, "This is Klaus. Klaus, this is Camille."

One hour together at a freshman house party while Katherine threw her guts up into the toilet with Bonnie at her side had Cami thinking they were best pals, and once Bonnie had used 'Care Bear', Cami had stuck to it like glue.

"Pleasure to meet you, Camille," Klaus greeted, plastering on what was shaping up to be his signature grin, "Another Boston law student I'm guessing?"

Cami laughed haughtily, "Call me Cami. My brain can only handle so much when it comes to the American court systems. No, I'm a psychology major. I find the mind fascinating…"

The girl trailed off, sipping her drink with a flirting gaze.

"Is that so?"

Caroline's nose twitched slightly as she watched him drawl his words, but she smiled nonetheless.

"Looks like you guys are hitting it off," Caroline complimented, uninterested, and slowly backed away, "I'm gonna find Bonnie and leave you to it."

His eyes followed Caroline as she left, but she took her exit quickly, wandering around the large house in search of her friends. More people had filtered through the large entrance and Caroline found herself squeezing through a couple strangers.

Katherine had already made herself comfortable, instructing two bulky pre-med students on where to rest the keg in the recreation room. Caroline laughed as Katherine glanced at her with a glint in her eyes. She was willing to bet that, that would be one of the few moments she would see the brunette for the rest of the party.

Caroline passed through into the kitchen, finding Bonnie engaged in a flirtatious argument with Kai in the corner while Stefan happily sipped his beer at the table. The room was as all the other rooms were, spacious, clean, and destined to be destroyed within the coming hours. She smiled, dropping herself onto the seat next to Stefan.

"Not in the mood for socialisation? That's unlike you. I thought you'd be knee deep in booze and babes by now," she lifted her pitch in awe of the scandal.

"I'm building myself up," he replied in defence, tapping his free fingers against the bottle.

The blonde grinned, stretching her arms out along the table. Stefan frowned, mid sip of his drink.

"What? Why aren't _you_ already drunk? Waiting for Tyler to stop in so you can make him jealous?"

She frowned, the creases between her eyebrows appearing.

"Which—?"

"Both. Separate occasions."

Caroline groaned, rubbing a thumb and finger against her forehead gently.

"I'm not telling them anything anymore."

"Why can't I know these things? Or has my friendship card been revoked?"

She smiled sympathetically but shook her head, folding her arms.

"Not important. So…what do you think about it?"

Playfully, Stefan let his eyes wander across the table sulkily, "I wouldn't know…"

Caroline whined, holding onto his arm gently, "Come on… I'm sorry."

He scoffed, laughing, "It's fine."

The blonde looked at him expectantly, and he returned an inquisitive, yet teasing, face. Caroline simply punched him on the arm, a flat expression presented.

"Okay okay," he chuckled before addressing her seriously, "I think it's stupid."

"Really?"

Stefan sighed, placing his half-filled bottle on the thick, wooden table top, "If he wanted to be exclusive, he would have asked _officially_ by now. Why are you putting yourself through this sort of thing again?"

Caroline's eyes flickered with hurt, but she scoffed and rolled her eyes abruptly, standing up.

"Because— I mean he has…I just—," she stammered, avoiding eye contact.

"Caroline—"

" _Stefan_ ," she frowned, "Why can't you just give me your support?"

"Because I think you're making a mistake?"

After sucking in a short breath, Caroline ended their conversation, "You know what? I need some freakin' pot."

With hands on her hips she addressed the host across the room, "Kai? Weed? Yes? No?"

Kai willed himself to break away from his staring match with Bonnie and smirked. Of course, the answer would be yes. The boy was probably swimming in the stuff and was known to supply when necessary.

"You know me. People are setting up a _film_ in the basement," he stated, wiggling his eyebrows, "What you seek is also there."

She gave him a simple thumbs up before stomping away from Stefan. She followed the familiar path of the hallway, nodding to herself as she found a couple others on their way to the basement. The stairs down there were lit by a single dangling, uncovered light bulb, but she was soon greeted by the warm light of numerous lamps that surrounded the brightly coloured blankets and cushions in the middle of the room.

About seven people were occupying the basement, with two vaguely familiar people setting up a projector and film reel. Caroline only truly recognised one person who was sat against two larger cushions, having recently passed a glass bong along the circle of partakers. She was a pale young girl with black hair and a round face.

"April," Caroline smiled brightly, making her way to sit beside the girl.

"Caroline, hi," she replied happily, reaching for a hug, which Caroline reciprocated, "How are you?"

"Fine," she lied through her teeth, "How was the hellscape with the Pastor?"

The raven-haired girl laughed, rolling her eyes playfully, "You know. He's still hoping I'll settle down once this 'law thing' is over."

"Wow… So, only slightly worse than how my annual carnival trip went with Bill?" she joked in reply, leaning back against a pillow.

April was another classmate of hers; the pair had bonded over the questionable parenting skills held by their fathers respectively. Both being from small towns also meant they shared much excitement about living in a city for the first time.

"Of course," she smiled, but soon gestured to the bong making its way around the circle, "Did you want some—?"

"God, yes," Caroline released a heavy sigh of relief, "You have no idea how much I need it."

"Mind if I give it a try?"

They looked up to see Klaus standing with his hands coyly shoved into his pockets, a smirk begging to present itself as he made eye contact with Caroline and Caroline only.

"Pull up a cushion, man," one of the guys in the circle gestured to the free space, which Klaus happily took to, sitting the other side of April.

Caroline watched him sit down as she absentmindedly took the bong and lighter that was passed into her hands.

Beside her, an unfamiliar man scrunched up his nose, "It's a little strong, just to warn you. Have you ever used a bong? Do you need help with it?"

The man was short, his hair red, and he looked both twelve years old and fifty years old simultaneously if that were to ever be possible.

Caroline's face became deadpan as she visibly rolled her eyes to April's amusement and Klaus' surprised delight.

"Do I need help with it?" she mocked openly, smoothly lighting and taking a hit from the red-tinted, glass instrument. With one long hit, she held it for a moment before sucking in the air harshly and releasing it with a cool demeanour. She repeated the process, her eyes catching Klaus' as he intently viewed her actions.

She felt the heat rise to her cheeks as his eyes darkened with lust, but she held her composure nonetheless. With a release of breath, she kept her view on the rugged Brit as she passed the objects along to April, who, too, had no problem with her turn much to the embarrassment of the red-haired guy of the group.

Once Klaus had the instruments in his possession, he made quick work of figuring out the usage of it from what he had watched with Caroline.

Caroline smiled softly at his attempt to figure it out, but he soon had the hang of it, taking a generous hit of the drug. He immediately raised his gaze back to Caroline as he released a huff of smoke, a cheeky glint in his eyes.

The battle of their stares became a constant as the bong made its way around the circle a number of times until they began to feel the effects. Finally, it was back in Klaus' hands, and he was quick to smirk as he took the biggest hit he could. She pursed her lips, avoiding his gaze for a short moment. Unwittingly, they had entered themselves into a game of tease, and the temperature of the room began to feel increasingly higher for the both of them.

"April, can you help?" interrupted one of the men attempting to hook the film up to the clunky projector.

The dark-haired girl smiled sweetly, nodding purposefully as she stood up to help. Klaus took the opportunity to move into her deserted space among the cushions, earning a nervous swallow from Caroline.

"I thought this was a rare pastime for you?" Klaus teased, leaning in as April successfully fixed the projector. The reel began to turn as the wall in front of them lit up with the film's opening.

Caroline's lips twitched into an unwilling smile, but she tilted her head slightly to respond, "I lied. Is that a problem?"

"Not at all," he allowed his words to trail off, focusing his attention on the film beginning before their eyes.

She, too, took to viewing the projection, as April sat in Klaus' former seat, frowning slightly at the fact that her seat had been stolen.

The film was in black and white, rather damaged looking at first, but the picture gradually came into focus of a man and woman intertwined with each other. It started off slow, but Caroline began to widen her eyes at what she was seeing: the two actors having sex with each other.

"Wait…what is this?" Caroline asked innocently, refusing to take her eyes away from the sight.

"Fuck," answered one of the guys of the group.

She blinked in confusion, and so did Klaus, who let a laugh escape him.

"What?" she involuntarily giggled, her head falling back.

"Andy Warhol shit, y'know? Like that film Eat where the dude's just eating…but, like, fucking."

In the presence of different company she may have gasped and removed herself from the room, but she could not help her focus from staying. The pair on screen pressed kisses to each other's bodies with care, escalating further and further until they were engaging unadulterated sex. It was on the clearing of Klaus' throat beside her that she shifted her gaze from the screen onto him.

He poked his tongue out slightly wetting his lip. Caroline fought the urge to bite her own lip but failed immediately as her teeth grazed along her bottom lip. The moment he fidgeted in his seat and turned his head, she felt a rush of blood to her head and gently grazed her nails against the palms of her hands. His eyes were glazed over, but they presented purpose in them. The pot had quickly taken its effect, the room feeling like a hazy shell of itself.

"Um…" she let escape but immediately pressed her lips together tightly.

She felt as though her senses had taken a great fall through clouds upon clouds. Caroline had become hyper aware of her slow breathing that matched the timing of Klaus' and it seemed to her that he was anticipating more to her words.

"I think I'm gonna go…upstairs…"

He glanced at her parted lips and spoke with a lustful voice, "Why?"

Caroline simply stared for what could have been two seconds or five minutes; she was not sure.

With a rapid flutter of her eyelashes, she released a low hum before responding, "I don't know."

Klaus was adamant on maintaining eye contact, watching her rise from the floor slowly and leave up the stairs once she felt stabilised.

* * *

Leaving the den of haze and entering the bustling party above was like the sudden rushing of a rollercoaster on a downward turn. Caroline was confronted with loud noises from all angles, the bass driving through her body with raw power. She wandered through the hallways of people ranging from mildly tipsy to ridiculously drunk, looking out for someone she recognised.

Katherine was still raging on within a group of other drunkards, dancing freely to the music booming in the living area. Caroline squinted but had in fact, witnessed Stefan joining the dance circle, sandwiched between Katherine and another man. Bonnie was absent from the room, presumably still locked into battle with Kai over who was the superior law student. The time had surely flown.

It only took a few more scans of the room and nearby entrance way to find Tyler had arrived with a couple work friends she had met once or twice in passing. Tyler, himself, was already cosy against the wide doorframe, arm rested above a tan brunette girl with a smug smile that Caroline would have recognised anywhere.

Seeing him so happily engrossed in conversing with Hayley of all people was enough to knock some soberness into her brain, but it also willed her to grab the nearest bottle of alcohol and knock it back as best she could. She swayed her way through the room, green bottle hanging loosely from her left hand.

"Tyler," she braced the coming emotions, straining a smile.

Tyler stiffened for a short moment, glancing at her, but soon relaxed and left his position next to Hayley.

"Hey, Care…"

"You finished early?"

Attempting such a delightful tone was proving difficult as her words were drawn out into a chilled fashion.

"Yeah, it was kind of quiet so the boss let us go. Are you alright?"

He pressed a thumb to her cheek, stroking gently against her warm skin. She smiled and nodded, gently tugging his hand away from her to his dismay.

"I just got a little high. Whatever," she shook her head.

"Caroline, what's up?" was spoken joyfully by Hayley, who joined them with innocently batting eyelashes at the ready, "I didn't realise you guys knew each other!"

Caroline gasped playfully, slapping her hand against her own chest, "Oh! Well, we're housemates, and you see, we fuck each other too. What a small world!"

The expressions on their faces dropped into nothing more than bewilderment. In a hushed manner, Tyler asked Hayley to wait aside as he frowned at the blonde stood with folded arms.

Glancing at Hayley momentarily, she said sharply, "I'll let you get back to that."

She did not allow him to even formulate a response, allowing the music of the room to take her into the growing group dancers. The music felt light, yet heavy, the drum and bass kicking into her system and encouraging her body to groove along. Periodically, she would take sips from the remaining liquid in the bottle tightly grasped by her hand. It barely stung as it flowed down her throat with ease, and sooner rather than later, the bottle was empty.

Intending to discard it, she headed over to the nearest table of refreshments. She scrunched her mouth up, debating her next action.

* * *

Klaus had sat for few minutes while the film continued to roll on, his attention diverted as he recalled the titillating way he and Caroline shared glances. He folded his arms in defiance; being so incredibly wrapped up in her was starting to irritate him to say the least. He wished to pass it off as a mere desire to get her into bed and move onto the next, but god, he could not shake the intensity of his feelings off.

Meeting Camille, or Cami as she insisted on being called, was a fun exercise in socialisation and he could see himself crossing paths with her from time to time, but something had him hooked on Caroline and Caroline alone. Perhaps, he pondered in his highly relaxed state, it was how she looked at him like she could both slap him and have her way with him, especially as she inhaled the pot smoke.

Ridiculous.

He laughed quietly to himself. They probably looked like two horny teenagers who had just discovered sex for the first time trying to entice each other with sensual staring but to sober eyes, they would just look silly.

The rest of the people sat with him seemed highly engrossed in the movie, some more than others. It seemed he had reached the end of his stay in the smoke-filled basement. The raven-haired girl that he had stolen the space off of was the only one to notice as he left the room, nodding slightly in acknowledgement. He was not sure if he had caught her name. She looked like a…Hannah. Did not matter, he supposed.

He realised as he re-entered the main party that his tolerance to the weed was a little lower than anticipated. His reaction was not so drastic that he was seeing colours or contemplating the big questions of life, but he suddenly felt significantly lighter on his feet.

Klaus did some wandering throughout the house, which seemed bigger than when he first arrived. It was surely more crowded than it had been. A concentration of people was in the largest living room, but he passed the entryway to it and walked through the kitchen. He immediately noticed Bonnie with a vaguely familiar man with brown hair and stubbly chin; he had been the one to greet Caroline when they entered the house.

"My Bon-Bon, can't you just accept that I could teach you so much," he droned on, hands dramatically risen.

"Because I plan to take cases on principle…not money," she bit back, gently jabbing at his chest.

Bonnie sighed amusedly, running a hand through her voluminous hair before noticing Klaus.

"Klaus," she said with some degree of relief, "Enjoying your first American party?"

The stranger beside Bonnie raised an eyebrow wickedly, puffing his chest out slightly, "Who's this?"

"Stop," she rolled her eyes, holding an arm in front of his chest, "Kai, this is Klaus. Klaus, this is Kai."

"I own this extravagant house."

" _Your parents_ own this house."

"Oh, it's basically mine."

"Yeah, but not really."

Klaus simply stared, dumbfounded at their back and forth. Either they were going at it for a long time or he was higher than he realised.

Finally, Bonnie ended their spat, "Klaus is our new housemate. He's starting at Harvard next month."

"Ah, good man," Kai grinned, reaching to shake his hand, "You have standards clearly."

"Well, not high enough if you're the sort that attends," Klaus had intended to think but had so obviously said aloud.

Kai had an incredulous expression but laughed loudly, retreating his extended hand.

"Bonnie, remind me to invite him to all further parties."

"Do I look like your secretary?"

"In due time, once you inevitably fail the bar exam."

Klaus squinted at Kai; his personality was 'ghastly' as his mother would have put. He could not understand why Bonnie even stood to be in presence.

"So, how's the party treating you?" Kai was the one to reignite the conversation.

"Fine. Caroline and I smoked for a bit downstairs. I didn't realise American parties were so…unrestricted."

Bonnie laughed, "That's just a Kai Parker party."

Kai grinned knowingly in response.

"Did you say Caroline's downstairs?"

"Uh, she was," he shrugged but felt inclined to enquire further, "Why?"

Bonnie's lips twisted slightly, but she settled on a flat tone of voice, "No reason."

"Of course," Klaus responded, one corner of lips twitching upward, "I'm going to venture a little more."

"I'm going to drive us home in a couple hours, okay? I won't wait around!" Bonnie called out. Spoken like a true designated driver.

"Noted," Klaus acknowledged and move on into the next room, passing through to the main living room once more.

He scanned the groups of sweaty people, his eyes landing on the girl of his current affection. Caroline had completely entranced herself in the music, hands roaming over her hips and waist, though one was restricted by the bottle she clasped.

He waited aside the door frame until she took herself away from the dancing, landing at the table beside the doorway.

"Stunning display," he complimented light-heartedly, joining her at the table.

With a sigh, she tilted her head toward him, "You know, your brother didn't put 'stalker' on the application for the room."

He chuckled, "What can I say? I gravitate toward you."

She rolled her eyes, his smile falteringly slightly in response as she faced the crowded room.

"You look rather focused, love."

"I am."

He simply waited for her to undoubtedly spill her thoughts onto him.

"Tyler is here."

"And…?"

"And you know who he's talking to? Hayley. The same Hayley I clearly hate—I mean, she's fine, she's whatever, but he keeps talking about a relationship and then does that. What am I supposed to think, right? So," she paused to ball her fists purposefully, "I'm going to go out there, dance a little, make him jealous. The works."

He laughed aloud, unlike she had seen before.

With the roughest scoff she could muster, she faced him, "Does that make me harder to like? Good."

"No, I like it," he answered seriously, raising his voice to match the volume of the music.

She forced herself to roll her eyes once more, but felt his eyes so obviously focused on her. Biting her lip, she searched the crowded room intensively.

Caroline decided quickly that Matt Donovan, a junior in the athletics department entering into the room, would do nicely. They had nearly dated in the year prior, but it seemed he was too hung up over his ex-girlfriend; she did not enjoy his absentminded replies when they went out together. However, she did not require him talking to execute her plan.

"I'll see you later," Caroline stated flatly, striding away and leaving him to smirk triumphantly.

Swaying her hips, Caroline slotted herself nicely between Matt and a group of others. He was fairly drunk, his dance moves not the cleanest, but he reacted happily to Caroline's appearance. Even more happily, he accepted as she held her body closer to his, hovering his hands over her hips in wait of approval. She took the lead as she held his palms against the bare skin between her top and shorts.

Klaus was stood in the same spot, chuckling to himself at the fire in her eyes as she looked back and forth between Matt and Tyler respectively. He took the opportunity to follow her gaze to Tyler who was now making his way over to him. Klaus rolled his shoulders slightly, grinning as his new housemate stood firmly beside him.

"Shocked?"

Klaus' brows knitted closely together.

"Pardon?"

"The perfect Caroline Forbes grinding on the first guy she finds."

Klaus felt the need to bite his tongue but quickly formulated his reply.

"Are you not jealous? Don't you two have…a thing?"

Tyler laughed unashamedly, "This is Caroline we're talking about. You know."

"Well, I moved in yesterday, so no, I don't. Care to elaborate?"

The amusement in Klaus' voice was clear, and he intended to keep playing along with whatever Tyler was doing until he had made his conclusions on the man.

"Caroline Forbes is bitchy and insecure at worst, and neurotic at best," Tyler informed Klaus confidently, looking at him as if he should _get it._

Klaus exhaled quietly, clenching his jaw as he looked out to Caroline, who now had her back against the blonde man she had chosen as bait. She was looking directly at Tyler with seductive, yet at times, nervous, eyes. Inwardly groaning, Klaus braced a friendly smile at Tyler.

"Don't you think you should be careful, mate?"

Tyler laughed, "Careful about what?"

"A girl like that, she's eventually going to realise her worth and maybe the next guy she finds to _grind_ on out of insecurity is the one she picks over you. Just something for you to think about, mate."

He patted Tyler's shoulder gently, taking his cue to leave the immediate area.

* * *

 _What is he doing?_ she asked herself as she witnessed Tyler take a place beside Klaus. She could not tell from their facial expressions what they were saying, but Tyler seemed to do most of the talking.

Caroline refrained from biting her lip; Klaus' face looked as though it tensed. It was…kind of attractive. She blinked rapidly for a moment to shake off her thoughts. Klaus began to lean into Tyler, a smirk placed on his face as he spoke, and then he left, and then Tyler made his way over. _Fuck_. She felt as though she was sweating heavily, but she tried her best to ignore her own subconscious screaming.

"Hey," Tyler's voice suddenly whispered into her ear, his body now making an effort to intertwine with hers, "Let's talk."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! A special thank you to the anon that consistently checks up on this story! I know my updates are slow but I hope you enjoy this chapter! I can't wait to get further into the story with some of the ideas I have!**


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